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Sea Song, by Robert Wyatt

Not many artists, musicians in particular, can recover from an accident that leaves them paralyzed from the waist down. And if the artist is a drummer, a skill that requires one’s feet in equal measure to the upper limbs, then said drummer has most likely already seen the better part of his career. However if you are Robert Wyatt, one of Canterbury’s scene most prominent musicians, who at the age of 28 dropped from a 4th floor bathroom window after imbibing large quantities of southern comfort, tequila and whiskey, you use this horrific event as a turning point and start a new career.

Robert Wyatt and Alfreda Benge, 1973

Robert Wyatt and Alfreda Benge, 2007

Wyatt started writing the material for what would become his second album prior to the accident. In early 1973 he spent time in Venice, Italy with his then girlfriend Alfreda Benge who was assistant editor to Nicolas Roeg, then filming the movie Don’t Look Now, based on a book by Daphne Du Maurier (an excellent movie if you are into psychological thrillers). He had a lot of time to kill on his own and started jotting down the ideas for a number of songs. After the accident took place in June 1973, the concept of the album started to crystalize during the lengthy time he spent in the hospital. After a few months in the hospital he gained some mobility with a wheel chair and found an old upright piano, on which he kept working on the tunes. Many of them were love songs to Alfreda. I use the term love songs loosely, for they are as far from your average sugary 3-chord I-Love-You pop songs as you can get. Alfreda, or Alifie to Robert, was not only his muse but played a critical role on his way to recovery and new musical expression. They have been a team ever since, with Alfreda contributing lyrics, drawings to album sleeves and artist management duties.

Sea Song, hand written lyrics

Rock Bottom LP

After leaving the hospital Wyatt spent time in a country house and recorded the songs using a mobile recording studio. He later invited friend musicians such as Mike Oldfield, Fred Frith and Richard Sinclair to add parts to specific songs. Even more importantly he asked Pink Floyd’s drummer Nick Mason to produce the album. Mason has never been a busy virtuoso drummer. His skill is in the amount of space he provides and letting the music breathe, a quality that defines many of Pink Floyd’s classics. That was his exact advice to Wyatt upon listening to the newly recorded material, and it helped shape the minimalistic approach for the album. That album is Rock Bottom, a record you must listen to with undivided attention if you want to experience all the nuances it has to offer. To top it, it includes one of my favorite pieces in all of music, Sea Song.

Riviera organ

Robert Wyatt and Nick Mason

Rhythmically, Wyatt provides the bare essential accompaniment in the form of half notes played on a toy drum. The sleeve notes list it as James’ drum, James being the country house owner’s son. Wyatt also plays piano and a Riviera organ, a very simple keyboard that was popular in the late 60s. The lyrics combine the imagery on the front sleeve of the record depicting life on the surface and bottom of the sea, with the character of his love, her changing moods and all the reasons he adores her. Quite good poetry for a non-poet. However it is the second part of the song, where the rhythm stops and the vocalization begins, that sends chills down my spine. I love all the pieces of music I write about on this blog, but few of them move me that deeply.

Sea Song, hand written lyrics

Rock Bottom front sleeve

Sea Song is not an easy song to cover but attempts have been made a number of times, including Tears for Fears who gave it a good interpretation, although Roland Orzabal’s vocals are a tad too sweet for this kind of a song. The interpretation I like the most is by one of my favorite bands of recent years, The Unthanks, from their 2011 album Diversions Vol. 1, the songs of Robert Wyatt and Anthony & the Johnsons. Robert Wyatt concurs, as he stated in various interviews.